Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear, 6th Edition

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You do need some experience of garment construction to use this book as there are no instructions on how to make up the garment, or else you need someone who is familiar with pattern drafting and construction as a "phone a friend". If you use a normal pencil then the lead will get thicker and thicker meaning you add the odd millimetre here and there to your patterns.

This sixth edition remains true to the original concept: it offers a range of good basic blocks, an introduction to the basic principles of pattern cutting and examples of their application into garments.

I've also found it's super helpful to mark on your waist, hip, knee and elbow lines on each piece as these will come in handy if you're adjusting the fit later on; this means making sure you mark them on your block patterns too. Trousers are next on the list and this section is much the same as the skirt section but with trousers as our focus!

So there you have it, my little (or not so little) review of Metric Pattern Cutting by Winifred Aldrich.This best-selling textbook still remains the essential purchase for students and beginners looking to understand pattern cutting and building confidence to develop their own pattern cutting style.

The size charts have been revised to reflect the changes in body sizing, the co–ordination with European size charts and to the way that clothes are now marketed to different sectors. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. There is also a lot of information on how to draft a variety of different designs for tops, dresses, sleeves, pants, skirts etc. I do think another book which details how to sew clothes together and various techniques would be a good companion. They're such a time and money saver in the long run, especially if you're about to make something in a very expensive fabric or you think you'll make the pattern again and again.Over the years I've noticed that the date is often missed off each pattern piece (I've done it myself too) and although at the time it may not seem important, you'll see the importance when you've tweaked the pattern 10 times and you don't know which pattern piece was the latest version.